Duration: 1 weekend
A working fireplace was the best discovery of our refurb. We'd removed a gas fire, knocked through the plaster and there it was! We sourced a fireplace surround on Gumtree. All it took was a couple of coats of white eggshell paint and black heat-proof fireplace spray to get it back into shape, with a black slate hearth we sourced locally.* By luck, it arrived with its original Victorian tiles.
The project took a weekend (excluding plastering/painting the surrounding wall) - not bad for a big focal point of HomeLife. Our companion set was a bargain from B&Q, which also offers affordable fire screens. Mog is a big heat worshipper so we use the screen to protect her when a piece of firewood starts to 'spit'. If you ever get new carpet in your living room, use an off-cut of carpet as a protector / camouflaged rug.
*Safety shout out: Please ensure you consult a professional before installing a fireplace - as you can imagine, it's important it's put in correctly and safely, and that your chimney is safe to use. We also have a carbon monoxide alarm next to it, and in the room above it.